Crunch Time: 9 Surprising and Entertaining Celery Fun Facts You Never Knew!

1. Celery: A Pup's Diet Delight

Who let the dogs out? The celery did, with its waistline-friendly canine appeal: This fibrous veggie is low in calories and fat yet packed with vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, and manganese, making it a nutritious treat for our pudgy pals struggling with obesity. Keep in mind, though, that celery should be a mere slice of their diet (less than 10% to be exact) while always chopped into petite portions, and consulting with a vet seals the deal on celery safety for your fur-ever friend.
Source => akc.org

2. Medicinal Marvel in Crunchy Disguise

Celery, the original "Netflix and crunch" companion, has been keeping a sneaky secret amidst its innocent crispiness: This unassuming veggie packs a powerful punch of medicinal properties, with its arsenal including flavonoids, carotenoids, coumarin, coumarin derivatives, vitamins, and minerals, all ready to combat for our well-being!
Source => academic.oup.com

Did you know carrots come in a rainbow of colors, with origins in wild carrots from Europe and Southwestern Asia? Discover the vibrant surprises these taproot veggies have in store!

=> Fun Facts about Carrots

3. Victorian Veggie Luxury Display

In a world where diamonds, rubies, and celery shared the same pedestal: During the Victorian era, celery was seen as a luxury due to its difficult cultivation, making it a favorite among the upper and middle class. These posh folk showcased the crunchy green veggies in specially designed vases, some even made of silver, with proud display on their dining tables. The popularity of celery vases may have waned, but the Metropolitan Museum of Art still houses a collection of these historical veggie thrones.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Hunger-Beast Battling Stalk

Celery: the lean, green, crunching machine parading as a mere crudité when, in fact, it's a nutritional powerhouse cloaked in inconspicuous greenery: Six small stalks of this unassuming veggie pack in 1.6 grams of dietary fiber to fend off the hunger beast, and 265 mg of potassium to keep your blood pressure as cool as a cucumber (or, you know, celery).
Source => fatsecret.com

5. Celery's Ancient Doctor Days

Eons before we enjoyed celery in our Bloody Marys or Ants on a Log, the ancient world thought it was better suited for a doctor's office than a veggie tray: Wild celery roamed freely across the lands, offering its medicinal services to the Greeks and Romans, before finally breaking into the culinary scene in 16th century Italy and northern Europe. It took luxurious garden improvements and some serious patience to transform this soggy swamp dweller into the cultivated plant it is today—proving that even celery can have its own rags-to-riches story.
Source => aggie-hort.tamu.edu

6. Celery vs. Poison Hemlock Trial

If celery were ever accused of sharing traits with its nefarious cousin, the lethal poison hemlock, it would undoubtedly stand tall in court and proclaim, "Lettuce put this case to rest!": Celery, while belonging to the same plant family as poison hemlock, is low in calories, high in fiber, vitamin K, potassium, and will most certainly not cause sudden demise.
Source => poison.org

7. Pink Plume Celery: Rare Veg Gem

In a shockingly delicious twist of fate, celery meets the lovechild of Willy Wonka and Mother Nature, producing a vibrantly violet-hued vegetable with the swagger of a fennel-flaunting sweet talker: Behold, the Pink Plume celery! An heirloom variety introduced in 1894 by Peter Henderson & Company, it quickly stole the hearts (and garden plots) of North America, featured in over 100 seed houses by 1903, only to slip back into rare botanical obscurity, known only to the most discerning of celery connoisseurs.
Source => brightbushfarm.ca

8. Brain Booster Crunch

Feeling forgetful? Well, don't despair and just "stalk" up on celery! This crunchy cuisine companion not only jazzes up your Waldorf salad but keeps your brain crisper than a fresh head of lettuce: Research in 2017 showcased celery's ability to enhance cognitive function and memory, potentially benefiting those with dementia and Alzheimer's, as well as uplifting our mood. So next time you're dining, token that "peace of mind" celery stick!
Source => bbcgoodfood.com

9. Celery's Bittersweet Medicine Moment

Celery: the vegetable that went from "negative-calorie snack" to life-saving medicine for a famous foodie! : In a bitter twist, renowned British journalist and restaurant critic A.A. Gill found himself turning to the humble celery stalk as he chronicled his battle with cancer in a 4,000-word essay, highlighting that the NHS denied him immunotherapy—a treatment that could have extended his life. Gill eventually took Nivolumab, a drug falling under the immunotherapy umbrella, but sadly succumbed to his illness in December 2016.
Source => theguardian.com